Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream

We are really spoiling you today–kind of like when you get your significant other a gift for the first time and you are so nervous s/he won’t like what you picked out so you do one of those variety pack kind of gifts so s/he is bound to like something. Okay, well we’re not really spoiling you that much, but we are giving you two songs today. Both are Feist songs–”Sally’s Song” (now “1 2 3 4″) and “So Sorry”– and are from a Chicago show on 1.26.06.

Listen to “1 2 3 4” (4.2/5)
Listen to “So Sorry” (5/5)

The Rosebuds are a husband-and-wife duo out of North Carolina that have just released their third LP (their first record with Merge). According to them, they wanted to make a “dark, sexy, danceable, nuanced, and sublime record,” and I would be a fool to say that they didn’t succeed. Night of the Furies is an adorable collection of song, that ranges from moody, melodic tracks to somewhat more voluminous songs that really expand your ears. It is almost as if there’s a constant soft synth in the background, that just lies there until it explodes into a chorus of ‘Oh’s’ (see Silja Line) or it may break out into a string-filled delight. Indeed, this record might be considered lighter and fluffier than the norm, but don’t take that to mean that it’s got no substance. Night of the Furies is an excellent effort that is sure to lead to some more fantastic records from The Rosebuds.

Want to purchase Night of the Furies?
Listen to “Night of the Furies” (4.9/5)
Listen to “Get Up Get Out” (4.4/5)

There’s no better way to spend a summer than by watching live music. And with all the summer festivals, the opening of outdoor venues, and the free concerts, there is just no excuse for not going to shows. For my money it just doesn’t get better than sitting on the lawn, drinking a Natural Light, while watching the Police try to remember how “Message in a Bottle” goes.

In the spirit of summer shows, CSV will be posting one live mp3 each weekday during the month of June. We will draw songs from live albums, bootlegs, and some we have recorded ourselves. Be sure to check back each day!

We start the month of live gifts off with a happy-go-lucky reminder of Ben Kweller’s performance at Lollapalooza 2006. Listen to his opener, “Run.”

the band: I first heard about this band back in February when a friend of mine told me that they rocked a mostly empty house while opening for Peter Bjorn and John in NYC. Their debut, Fort Nightly, was released on May 22 and the ‘Rabbits have been gaining a tremendous amount of buzz ever since. Hailing from NYC, this high-energy sextet is sure to be one of this summer’s best bets.

the sound: The White Rabbits use a well-portioned blend of vintage-rock and calypso grooves, while paying greater attention to details than many other concise garage rockers. They are akin to The Walkmen, but the music is less dense and the vocals less edgy.

the pros: They have what many similar bands lack: variety and subtly. They make full use of all six members, delivering especially well with their great harmonies and driving rhythm section.

the cons: Their recorded sound is a bit too confined to really set them apart from similar bands. At times it seems as though they should have given one more rub to the lucky rabbit foot in order to assure their status as indie rock allstars.

the verdict: This record will surely be one of the strongest releases of the summer. With a mainstage-worthy live show they are sure to be met with welcoming arms and pumping fists after a pitcher of margaritas.

it’s no facebook, but it is a myspace

Listen to “the kid on my shoulders” (4/5)
Still not convinced? Listen to “navy wives” (4/5)
Also, check out a video segment on the band called “Practice Space”

Here are some tracks/videos that are sure to peak your interest:

Tracks:
Sufjan Stevens – In The Words of The Governor
Could this really be Sufjan? Really? Well, I’ll be honest then–this doesn’t sound like something I’ll want to be listening to on his next album. I hope there’s no complacency on Stevens’ part, because as of now, he could shit out a song right now and still have it be no. 1 on elbo.ws.

The New Pornographers – My Right Vs. Yours
Solid track from indie darlings.

Akon is officially…an idiot.

Spoon – The Underdog
Everyone has been going Ga Ga Ga Ga for these guys, as their newest album is a great follow up to Gimme Fiction.

Beirut – Venice
Another solid, but intelligible track from Zach Condon. Can anyone understand what he’s saying?

Fujiya & Miyagi – Ankle Injuries
This gives me an idea. I’m gonna throw one of our readers into the stands….maybe not.

For something a little off beat, here’s the Family Guy Episode “E. Peterbus Enum”.
Enjoy.

Fact: I will not be talking about Wilco today, despite the deceiving title.

After releasing critically-acclaimed EPs, Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives and Your Biggest Fan, Voxtrot had big expectations to fulfill. I had taken Voxtrot’s previous efforts as better than average–it wasn’t necessarily that I was impressed so much by their EPs, but more so of what I thought they were capable of doing. And with the first proper LP, Voxtrot, I am duly impressed. Voxtrot is slightly more produced than their previous work, which suits well their rather clean sound. It’s a lot easier to hear the different elements of each song from this burgeoning quintet. Voxtrot has got that sensitive indie rock feel to them, but with a good deal of edge that allows them to make catchy, infectious pop songs.

Comparisons have been made to Belle and Sebastian, and this seems logical on songs like “Kid Gloves”. But the record seems to be slightly more story-like, with lyrics written like any good novel–an introduction, a plot, and a resolution. Beginning with the words ‘Open your eyes, and stretch your hands’, “Introduction” slowly builds into a string-filled rock song, that leads beautifully into the high-charged “Kid Gloves” and seagull-like “Ghost”. The album then slows down a little bit to make room for the lighter “Stephen” and “Future, Pt. 1″. By the time the last track “Blood Red Blood” comes through, the album takes on this completeness that would make any author (or listener) proud.

So go and get Voxtrot.
Listen to “Introduction” (4.8/5)
Listen to “Ghost” (4.9/5)
P.S. Happy Birthday Stephen!!